6 Fitness Methods for Men to Gain Weight and Height
It’s an undeniable fact that most men love to gain weight and height. Typically, this is because a well-toned frame can make men look more masculine, powerful, confident, and attractive to the opposite sex. Similarly, being taller gives men a significant advantage in many sports—in particular, sports like basketball where having a good reach is ideal. Whatever the reason, there is no doubt that many men want to make improvements in their weight and height.
That said, there are many ways to gain weight and height which often hinge on the body’s unique response. However, most men opt for the following 6 methods:
1. Taking supplements
If you’re looking to gain weight and height, supplements can be a helpful addition to your diet. Steroids are one such supplement that also happens to be one of the most popular ways to gain weight and muscle mass. But the question needs to be asked—can steroids make you tall? Right now, there is no scientific evidence that suggests that taking steroids can help you to grow taller. Still, it should be noted that steroids can contain hormones that can help increase your bone length and growth.
Whey protein powder is another popular supplement that fitness enthusiasts use as an aid for their regimens. Whey is known as a “complete protein” since it contains the nine essential amino acids. Whey can help you lose body fat, lower your cholesterol, drive the growth of your lean tissue mass, and improve the synthesis of your muscle proteins.
Lastly, creatine is a dietary supplement that may help you gain muscle. Creatine is a naturally occurring nutrient in your body that provides energy to your muscles and tissues. Studies have shown that creatine can improve muscle strength and increase mass by up to 40 percent.
While you can get many of the nutrients you need from food, supplements can help you make sure you’re getting enough of the right nutrients. But before thinking of taking supplements, it is important to consult with your doctor first.
2. Lifting weights
One of the best ways to strengthen your body and condition your muscles is by doing the work itself. Doing weight training allows your muscles to adapt to stress, therefore making them a lot stronger. Essentially, the effects of weight training are similar to what aerobic exercises do to your heart.
You can do weight training using weight machines or free weights like dumbbells and barbells. You can do weightlifting along with other forms of resistance exercises such as squats, push-ups, or bench presses. Because your bones and muscles are inextricably linked, preventing muscle loss through resistance training also helps you prevent bone diseases including osteoporosis and arthritis.
How often you intend to do weight training depends on your body’s limits, but short sessions several times a week would suffice for most people. The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommends performing these types of muscle training at least two times a week. If you need help abiding by a fitness routine that’s perfect for your body, you can work with reliable fitness trainers like Total Shape to help you on your fitness journey.
3. Eating healthy meals
Building muscle requires a healthy balance of fats, protein, and carbohydrates along with lots of vitamins and minerals. Avoid diets that are heavy on carbohydrates, which can prevent muscle gain by inhibiting your growth hormones. Food and beverages you should also avoid include deep-fried meals, added sugars, and alcohol.
Ideally, you should increase your calorie intake by 15 percent if you plan to build muscle. Your fat intake must also remain below 30 percent of your daily caloric intake. Foods you should emphasize in your diet include meat, dairy products, poultry, fish, and grains. You should also have grains, fruits, vegetables (especially starchy vegetables), beans, legumes, nuts, and seeds.
These foods generally supplement your body with the nutrients it needs for muscle as well as bone growth. If you want to improve bone growth further, you may want to boost your intake of Vitamin D which improves bone health. Foods rich in Vitamin D include salmon, tuna, egg yolks, and fortified milk. Calcium, which aids in skeletal structure and strength, can also be found in foods such as dairy products, leafy greens, starchy vegetables, nuts, and beans.
4. Drinking lots of water
On top of keeping you replenished, water encourages muscle gain by delivering the components for building glycogen and protein—the body’s primary source of energy. With that in mind, it may help to drink lots of water especially if you need to do vigorous exercises and activities. Experts recommend a daily water intake of 8-10 glasses, but you should consider drinking more than that when working out.
That said, you may be thinking about going for sports drinks instead. While there’s nothing dangerous about that, experts suggest drinking sports drinks only if your exercise lasts for more than an hour and you’re at risk of electrolyte depletion. Sports drinks contain extra sugar, sodium, and calories which may be counterproductive to your efforts to gain muscles.
5. Practicing good posture
Besides not being a good look, poor posture also inhibits you from properly doing workout routines and most other strenuous activities. If you tend to slouch or slump, you may find yourself looking shorter than you really are. To keep your back’s natural curve straight, be mindful of how you sit, stand, and sleep. You may also want to use items such as memory-foam pillows, ergonomic chairs, and standing desks that keep your spine aligned and your posture in check. Not only will you appear taller than you normally would, but you can also avoid pain in your back and neck.
6. Getting enough sleep
Sleep is an important part of the day because it allows your body to conserve energy and recover from the day’s activities. Besides that, sleep encourages your growth hormones to build your muscles and bones. When you’re sleep-deprived, you’ll feel more fatigued and less focused during the day, especially during workout sessions. To keep you well-rested and ready to start your excursions, consider following the recommended 8 hours of sleep for adults.
The bottom line: consistency is key
At the end of the day, these best practices must be done regularly for you to see the results. Stay active by making healthy physical activities a part of your day, but it’s also important to take breaks as needed. In addition, you need to mind what you eat and consider the other healthy options for getting the nutrients you require. The results will not pop up overnight, but by trusting the process, you may be surprised to see how far you’ve come one day.
